Federal ZEV rebate claims hit 2024 high in August as Chevy Equinox EV leads way

Federal zero-emission vehicle rebate claims hit a 2024 high in August, fueled by disproportional demand from Quebec. 

Claims under Ottawa’s Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicle (iZEV) program totaled 20,801 vehicles for the month, according to the latest data from Transport Canada. 

Six of every 10 rebate requests came from Quebec, despite the province making up only about a quarter of Canada’s population.

Tesla led the way among automakers. Combined claims of 3,323 for its two eligible models put it ahead of second- and third-place finishers Toyota and Hyundai that made 2,818 and 2,628 rebate requests, respectively in August. 

Claims for the Chevrolet Equinox EV vaulted past those made for the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 in August, the first time a model not made by the U.S. electric-vehicle maker has claimed the top spot in the battery-electric category since early this year. 

Chevy dealerships made 1,853 incentive requests for the compact crossover that hit dealerships this spring, edging the second-place Model 3 that posted 1,833. 

The pecking order in the plug-in segment remained static in August. 

Mitsubishi made 1,261 claims for its Outlander PHEV; Toyota 1,164 for its Rav4 PHEV; and Ford 794 for its Escape PHEV. 

Rebate requests stayed flat in most provinces in August. Quebec was the exception, where dealerships booked 12,528 claims, nearly 2,000 more than in July. 

Quebec has been the longtime leader in ZEV volume, typically capturing 50-55 per cent of monthly iZEV claims, but its particularly strong performance in August was likely driven by provincial policy changes. The Quebec government currently offers an up to $7,000 rebate for ZEV purchases, but will reduce its incentive to $4,000 at the start of 2025, a factor that could have prompted would-be buyers to move up their purchases.